US Naval Forces Aid Distressed Mariners

Courtesy Photo | A rigid-hulled inflatable boat from USS Momsen responds to a medical emergency aboard an Iranian fishing vessel approximately 400 nautical miles north of Seychelles Jan. 5. Momsen is attached to Combined Task Force 151, supporting counter-piracy operations in the Somali Basin and Gulf of Aden.  

MANAMA, BAHRAIN

01.10.2011

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

MANAMA, Bahrain - U.S. ships provided medical assistance to crew members from two vessels since the new year in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) provided medical assistance to an Indian crewmember of a fishing vessel in the Persian Gulf Jan 2. Later that week, USS Momsen (DDG 92), assigned to Combined Task Force 151, Combined Maritime Forces' counter-piracy mission, responded to a medical emergency aboard an Iranian fishing vessel 400 nautical miles north of Seychelles, off the coast of Somalia.

Carter Hall lookouts observed an individual aboard a vessel waving his hands over his head and gesturing for help. Carter Hall immediately responded by dispatching an assistance team to provide aid.

The team discovered an injured man with a pressure dressing on his right arm. The crewman of the distressed vessel sustained the injury when his shirt was caught in the vessel's engine fan while performing maintenance.

"Given the extent and type of injury, the man could have developed significant problems," said Lt. Dustin Lorentz, Carter Hall's medical officer. "The Carter Hall medical team is always prepared to provide prompt and quality treatment to a person in need."

Three days later, on the morning of Jan. 5, a medical team from Momsen treated a 15-year-old boy on board an Iranian fishing vessel. His injuries were not serious and there was no requirement for him to be medically evacuated.

"We are delighted that once again CMF has been able to provide humanitarian assistance in an emergency," said CMF spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Susie Thomson, Royal Navy. "Mariners of all nations take pride in supporting each other and this occasion was no exception. We are particularly glad that this boy's injuries were not more serious and that he could remain with his crew mates."

Carter Hall is part of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. Kearsarge ARG is operating as a theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command.

CTF 151's mission is to deter, disrupt and suppress piracy, protecting maritime vessels of all nationalities and securing freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. In conjunction with NATO and European Naval Forces, CTF 151 conducts patrols in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor and supports Best Management Practice methods for piracy avoidance that are promoted to the shipping industry.

• Date Taken: 01.10.2011
• Date Posted: 01.10.2011 06:52
• Story ID: 63286
• Location: MANAMA, BH